Jessica O’Neill Gooding

For Jessica O’Neill Gooding, the practice of law is equal parts compassionate counseling and fierce advocacy. She is recognized for her dedication and trial-tested skill, but what matters most to Jess is the care and support she provides to each client. She is committed to helping individuals navigate complex legal challenges with confidence and clarity. A rising star in the courtroom, Jess blends her litigation experience with a collaborative, strategic approach to achieve leading outcomes for her clients.

A native of Conway, South Carolina, Jess is deeply rooted in the values she was raised with and strives to carry those forward in both her personal and professional life. She and her husband, Ben—also an attorney—are raising their three children with a commitment to faith, family, and community, working together to build a stronger future for their neighbors.

Educational Background

• Graduated from Conway High School in 2006
• Graduated with Honors from the South Carolina Honors College
• Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, University of South Carolina School of Law (2013)
• Order of the Coif and Order of the Wig and Robe Honor
• Editor on the South Carolina Law Review

Professional Associations

• South Carolina Bar (Served on several committees in the Young Lawyer Division)
• South Carolina Women Lawyers Association (Served as the Chair of the Membership Committee)
• American Board of Trial Advocates
• Former Editorial Board member for Richland County Bar Newsletter
• Richland County Bar Association
• South Carolina Association for Justice
• Junior League of Columbia

Courts Admitted

State Courts

• South Carolina State Court

Federal Courts

• U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Awards

• Midlands Legal Elite Honoree, Columbia Business Monthly
• Rising Stars Honoree, Super Lawyers Magazine – Personal Injury
• National Trial Lawyers Top 40 under 40
• South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association Scholar
• Columbia Business Monthly Best and Brightest 35 & Under, 2023 honoree
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Visionary of the Year, 1st Runner Up, 2023

Case Victories

• $12,500,000 Jury Verdict (2021): In Columbia, Gooding won a $12.5 million verdict (including $9 million punitive damages) for a client injured by a drunk driver. This is one of the largest non-fatality auto accident verdicts in Richland County history
• $402,500 side-swipe collision verdict (2024)
  • 2022-CP-40-1699
  • Richland County Court of Common Pleas
  • July 19, 2024
  • Jury Verdict
  • Lead Counsel for Plaintiff
• $2,000,000 settlement on wrongful death due to nursing home negligence (2024) (confidential, but settlement approval was filed with court)
  • 2024-CP-38-00212
• $2,125,000 settlement on wrongful death auto-collision case (2023) (confidential, but settlement approval was filed with court)
  • 2019-CP-32-4477